letter of complaint

Imagine… • You and your partner recently joined the Super Fit Fitness Centre... • Towards its snack bar?... • Towards its snack bar?... • Facilities – Weight-lifting, muscle-training,

Imagine…

• You and your partner recently

joined the Super Fit Fitness Centre

What are your expectations?

• Towards its facilities?

• Towards its activities?

• Towards its snack bar?

What are your expectations?

What are your expectations?

• Towards its facilities?

• Towards its activities?

• Towards its snack bar?

What are your expectations?

• Facilities

– Weight-lifting, muscle-training,

cycling and jogging machines, TV, changing room…

• Activities

– Yoga, aerobics, kick-boxing…

• Snack bar

– veggies, fruit, energy bars, juice…

Writing a letter

of complaint

1 Gather information for a

complaint

2 Learn how to make

complaints in a polite way

3 Write the first draft of a letter

of complaint

Things that you are

dissatisfied with

• Changing room

– Attendant

• Dirty, lazy, rude

– State of the room

• Dirty, smelly, slippery (water on floor)

– Equipment

• No clean towels

– Facilities

• Broken lockers, no benches

Things that you are

dissatisfied with

• Aerobics class

– Instructor

• Too chubby, unfit, unprofessional

– State of the room

• Crowded, untidy

– Equipment

• Gym equipment on floor

– Facilities

• Broken CD player, cracked glass

Things that you are

dissatisfied with

• Snack bar

– Assistant

• Dirty, sleepy

– State of the room

• Dirty, unhygienic, slippery (dripping water)

– Food

• Unhealthy, fattening, too much fat &

sugar

– Facilities

• Broken chairs & tables, dirty dishes

Reply from assistant manager

• Response:

– Vegetables and dairy products in burgers

– Fruit in cakes and drinks

– Go and exercise instead of sitting in the

snack bar

– He gave good advice because sugar and

fat give you energy

• Action:

– None

• Other comments:

– Join another fitness centre if you’re

unhappy

How to write a letter of complaint

• Purpose

– Express dissatisfaction (describe

what happened and how you felt)

– Ask for follow-up actions

• Style

– Formal

• Tone

– Firm but polite

Different parts of a formal letter

A Sender’s address

B Date

C Receiver’s name,

title & address

D Greeting

E Subject

F Content

G Closing

H Sender’s

signature

I Sender’s full

name

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

Plan your letter

• Opening paragraph

– Why you are writing this letter

• Complaint 1 (aerobic class)

• Complaint 2 (snack bar)

• Complaint 3 (assistant manager)

• Closing paragraph

– Actions you request

Specific problems +

details, adjectives, reported speech

Opening

• I am writing in connection with…

• We are writing to complain about the consignment of we have received from you

• We are writing with reference to our order No 56439 for 250 garden

tables

• I am writing with regard to…

• I am writing about…

Details

• In your advertisement, you said

that….In fact/However/Worse than that, To make the matter worse,…

Your demands

• I would like you to refund my money as

soon as possible and I suggest that you

pay compensation for the injuries that I

have received

• Unless I receive a satisfactory reply within the next three weeks, I will have to take further action

• I have already been in contact with my

local consumer protection office in order

to ask for advice and they have

recommended me to take legal action if I

do not get full satisfaction

Ending

• I look forward to hearing from you

• I look forward to a resolution to this problem